NOS BASF LP-35 compared to MAXELL UD 35-90

[Mark W.]

Anyone have any idea how BASF LP-35 tape compares with Maxell UD 35-90?

A while back I got about 15 NOS sealed BASF LP-35 tapes.

But I'm planning on doing as much of my upcoming recording on Maxell UD 35-90 that I now have some 65+ tapes of.

What I'm wondering is the BASF tape going to have a similar Bias and sound quality as the Maxell?

I haven't heard any worries about shed with the BASF so I doubt it suffers from that and all of this has been very carefully stored over the years.

 

[dr*audio]

I have not seen any sticky problems with BASF tape, but the LP-35 does have a lot of oxide rub off. I think the binder breaks down over time and I doubt that the tape having been sealed will make any difference. Clean the heads after you play a tape completely and you will probably remove a bunch of brown oxide.
The BASF will make fine recordings, though. The bias setting is different from Maxell XL. I think you will be very happy with the sound but the Maxell is more trouble free. Hardly any rub off at all.

 

[Jonny Ramone]

Maxell is "high" bias.

 

[goldear]

Mark,

I suspect that you will find that the Maxell work better on your machine. They do have slightly higher bias requirements than the Basfs, and so will probably sound a bit brighter on your machine than will the basfs.

 

[Mark W.]

Thanks Guys since the BASF is all sealed NOS and will at least sell for something on eBay I think I'll sell it and just flip the funds into more of the MAXELL UD35-90 I like that tape from what I have done with it and all three of my machines seam to do very well with it.

Plus I'm in the middle of building new music shelves and those damn BASF plastic boxes take more shelf spacing then the Std Cardboard box that Prerecorded tapes and Maxells come in.